Hope and Fear Set Free
by crazy-instincts
Summary: After her death, Prue was imprisoned in a cell in the depths of the underworld. Another joins her and together they escape the cells to rejoin the lives of the Charmed Ones.
1. Eternal Night

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed- I just love it way too much.

**Chapter One- Regaining a Lost Identity**

It was dark; but then again it almost always was in the underworld. And the darkest most evil place of all was in the very heart hell, sunken far beneath the rest of demon activity. The darkest place was in the cells, the cells of hell

Prudence Halliwell had been in the cells for four years. Four years without light, four years without life, four years without her sisters. Life, or rather death, was hell.

Prue could remember her death clearly, Shax sweeping through the door, her desperately trying to protect the doctor, worrying about Piper beside her and Phoebe in the underworld with Cole. Prue remembered leaving her body, watching as Leo rushed down, watching as Piper cried over her lifeless form.

Suddenly, her location had changed, she had no longer been floating in her ancestral home, she instead had been surrounded by the whiteness of 'up there' and her Grams and her Mom were in front of her, holding her hands, crying and shaking their heads. Their eyes said it all- no words were needed. "It's over Prue." Their gazes said. "It's over. You are gone. You have left your sisters. Forever."

Prue lost it then, for the first time in years she finally let go of all control. She screamed, she sobbed, she struggled. Yet nothing changed, there was no going back.

An elder, Odin, took her hand and led her away; Prue gazed back at her mother and grandmother before they disappeared from sight. Prue looked at the elder in contempt, she had never liked them in life and death wasn't about to change that.

The elder's face altered, no longer was his expression one of calmness but one of hatred as he lifted his palm. Prue had only time to register a flash of light emitting from the elder's palm and that something was very, very wrong before everything went black

*******

Prue had woken up in a small concrete cell that smelt like urine and death. The walls were splattered with dried blood and the floor was scattered with small bones, which had looked to Prue like they were either from a rat or a human foot. The air felt thick and repressing. Prue felt her magic sink down inside of her and shrink away from her horrible surroundings. Magic did nothing, Prue tried over and over to create spells and to use her powers, and although she was still in possession of her Charmed magic, it was no comparison to the strength of the power that entrapped her in the dark space.

Time meant nothing in that place, keeping count of the days, the months and the years only made it all seem like longer. The only thing that broke up the hours in the cell was the occasional visits from various evil entities, Prue dreaded such occurrences- a demon of sort would stand outside her cell door, outstretch their claws and pull. Pull Prue's magic from her body, extract her soul and tear her magical core. It was agony.

For what seemed like a millennium to Prue nothing changed, although in reality only four years had passed. For this length of time Prue had not had any contact with another human being, everything had become a bit muddled for Prue. Who she was and whom she had been seemed irrelevant, after all there was no one to tell. Things became lost in Prue's mind, everything was inside out and back the front, but she didn't really mind. If anything, insanity made things a little more bearable in the cells.

Then, out of the blue, there was another. Another person had come to the cells, she was no longer alone.

The new man was thrown into the cell to the left of Prue's. He landed with a thump on the concrete before rolling expertly to his feet.

Prue squinted at him and tried to recall details of her life before the cells. She knew this man, she was certain of it. She examined his dark hair, his dancing, bright dark eyes and his mischievous expression, yet still his identity was foreign to her. He was so familiar, but she couldn't quite grasp it, the intricacies of her real life escaped her. All she new was that her name was Prue, that she had two sisters that meant the world to her and of the magic in her blood.

"Well hello Prue." The man said with a smirk, and then it clicked. Prue would recognise that smirk anywhere, memory or not.

"Cole." She gasped.

*******

For a long time after, Cole and Prue talked, after all they were both very much desperate for a companion. And slowly, as Prue talked, her old life began to trickle its way back into her mind. She remembered. Every now and then a small gasp would escape Prue's lips as a part of her identity trickled back.

"Rasputin." Prue said, her eyes on Cole's. "My sisters and I had a dog as children called Rasputin." Cole would smile and nod in encouragement.

"What else do you remember?"

And so it went on, Prue and Cole would sit side by side, separated by the steel bars that created their cells and talk. Two and a half weeks had passed when Prue suddenly looked up and stared at Cole.

"I remember you hurting my sister, I remember you trying to kill us." Prue glared at Cole. "I remember hating you."

Cole nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving Prue. "Does it truly matter now?"

Prue went to open her mouth and paused, considering. "No." She said firmly. "No, it doesn't matter."

The next day was something they had both been dreading. It was draining day.

A demon stood before Cole's cell, it's claw outstretched. Prue and Cole sat watching it, waiting. And then it happened, with the closing of its claw Cole's chest heaved as his magic was wrenched from his body. A look of excruciating pain crossed Cole's face as he tried desperately not to show the pain he was in. But Prue knew, after all, she had been there many times and in a week or two she would be there again. She knew the pain of having her magic drained, and all she could do was watch as her only friend went through hell beside her.

In a minute it was over, and the demon leered down at them before striding back down the hall, energised by his power burst.

For the next two days as Cole recovered he told Prue all he knew about draining demons, drawing on his knowledge from his many years as Belthazar.

"They are low level as they themselves don't possess much power." Cole began. "They have the ability to drain a good or neutral magical being of his or her magic."

"So they can't drain other demons?" Prue queried.

"No" Cole replied, wincing as he sat up.

"So why aren't I dead? They've drained me dozens of times since I was put here but I'm still…" Prue pauses, not sure if the word 'living' applied to her. "Existing." She finished.

"They replenish your magic to allow for them to feed off you until your body can't take it any more. They run through the magic they drain fairly quickly making it necessary to constantly drink more." Cole replied, knowing what Prue's next question would be.

"How long can the body last?" She asked quietly, not sure if she really wanted to know the answer.

"There's no set amount, it depends on the core strength of the individual… but I'd guess about five years." Cole said trying not to sound harsh.

"How long have I been here?" Prue whispered. "How long?" Her eyes looked up into Cole's, searching for answers.

"About four years." Cole replied. Slowly Prue nodded; accepting his answer as tears gradually began seeping out of her eyes.

"My sisters have been without me for four years. They've been witches for seven years now." Prue's eyes looked imploringly up into Cole's. "Tell me about them."

And Cole talked; he talked of how Piper had taken on the role of the eldest sister and become lead witch. How she and Leo now had two children- Wyatt and baby Christopher. Of Phoebe and how she had finally found the right career. And of the youngest Paige, of whom Prue had never met, how she had fully embraced her life as a witch and a Halliwell.

There was silence for a minute as Prue absorbed this information. She thought about all she'd missed out on, about how she had missed her baby sisters growing up. Prue looked up at Cole, a newfound determination in her eyes.

"We're going to get out of this hell hole." Prue said, her eyes ablaze. "We're going to break out of this hell and I'm going to be with my family once and for all." She looked to Cole. "Are you in?"

All Cole could do was nod in reply. For the first time since he had arrived it seemed like the Prue Halliwell he once knew had returned.

And she wanted out.

**A/N: How was it? Did you like it? Are you a bit confused? Tell me all! I love getting feedback! More will be explained in the next chapter about how both Prue and Cole ended up in the cells, so don't worry if you're a bit confused.**

** Please review!  
**


	2. Escape At Last

**Authors Note: Thanks for all the positive feedback guys! It really made my day. As a side note, the title of this fic 'Hope and Fear Set Free' is from Algernon Swinburne's poem 'Garden of Proserpine.' The stanza reads:**

**From too much love of living,**

**From hope and fear set free,**

**We thank with brief thanksgiving**

**Whatever gods may be**

**That no life lives for ever;**

**That dead men rise up never;**

**That even the weariest river**

**Winds somewhere safe to sea.**

**The full version of the poem can be found in my profile. Now, Here's the second chapter!**

**Chapter Two: Escape At Last**

Planning to escape from the cells was not an easy task, after all it was one of the most protected places in the underworld.

Prue's eyebrows furrowed as she looked up at Cole. "So, if the drainer demons themselves are only low-level demons, then how are these cells so well protected?" She looked at Cole inquisitively.

He looked back and began to explain. "The drainer demons are merely pawns in a much larger operation. The Triad or whoever else holds immense power in the demonic hierarchy provides protection for the drainers in exchange for their services. Pretty much the drainers drain from us and then transfer a percentage of their gained magical strength to the higher-ups.

Prue frowned and began rattling off more questions. "So why aren't all demons on a draining high? So are a bunch of demons running around with my powers? Then what separates drainers from warlocks? And why don't they imprison more than just the two of us down here?" Prue quickly exhaled as the breath ran out of her.

Cole laughed. "Slow down woman and just be quiet and let me fill you in." Prue pouted back at him, uncomfortable with not being in control. Cole looked back at her and smiled, she actually looked like the old Prue Halliwell, like the person she'd been four years ago. When Cole had first been captured and chucked to rot in the cells Prue had been so dishevelled that she hardly knew who she was. Now, a mere three weeks later, a spark had returned to her face and her determination was shining from her eyes.

"Well?" Prue prompted the corner of her lip turning up in a smile.

"Ok, so warlocks steal a witch's powers right?" Cole said, waiting for Prue to reply.

"Yeah, yeah." Prue replied waving her arm. "Come on…"

Cole smirked at her impatience, earning himself a slap as Prue reached through the bars and whacked him across the shoulder. "Alright!" Cole exclaimed holding up his hands in defeat.

"A drainer doesn't drain a person's powers, but rather their magic in its purest form. So rather than the drainer demon gaining telekinesis, it instead gains the power you use in order to perform telekinesis."

Prue nodded. "Ok, magic not powers. Got it." She gestured for Cole to continue.

"Drainers are rare, their species is dying out, so the Triad and any other major source of evil ensures that the draining magic gets directed straight to them. If it does not then death comes to both the drainer and the receiver of the magic. So the drainers transfer the magic to the high-ups, also a part of their powers as Drainer demons. As well as keeping a small amount of the drained magic because a drainer must always have at least a drop of stolen magic in it to ensure its survival. " Cole paused and recollected his thoughts.

"Everyday Drainers steal magic from magical beings- witches, wood nymphs and neutral beings alike. Yet most beings die after their first draining without being able to retain enough magic to replenish them to their whole state. It takes a very strong individual to be able to be drained multiple times and still live. Only the strongest end up in the cells, only those with extremely powerful magic." Cole paused and looked to the woman beside him. "Charmed magic."

Prue nodded. "You know an awful lot about all this you know."

Cole shifted uncomfortably. "Well, being a Brother of the Thorn gave me certain… privileges." Cole fell silent.

"Oh." Prue replied and looked down at her hands. It made her feel sick to think of Cole taking another's magic. She shuddered slightly.

Cole sighed. "We need to use my inside knowledge of the underworld to our advantage. Do you know of the magic that entraps us?"

Prue looked up at Cole and silently shook her head.

"Feel it." Cole urged. "Close your eyes." Hesitantly Prue lowered her eyelids, almost automatically she reached out her hand and grasped Cole's.

"Feel the magic and try and trace it." Cole's voice whispered softly.

Prue licked her lips and let the magic of the cells surround her, let it absorb her, her grip tightened around Cole's hand as she held onto him, relying on his grasp to pull her back from the cell magic.

"It goes nowhere." Prue whispered. "It goes everywhere. It _is _everywhere. It's so dark and invasive. Yet it doesn't stem from a particular source, rather, it _is _the source." Prue opened her eyes and looked back to Cole where he sat smiling grimly, still holding her hand.

"Exactly. These cells were created from pure evil. It has not been sculptured or manipulated by a demon it is instead a physical manifestation of evil itself."

Prue nodded, understanding. "That's why the protection is always so strong, because it doesn't rely on the strength of an individual demon."

"Yes," Cole said his eyes dancing. "However, just like individual demons the strength of evil goes through stages, it is always undulating. With our combined power I believe we have the strength to escape from this hell in a time when evil is at its weakest. Which would be…"

Prue looked up, her eyes bright. "Which would be after a big Power of Three vanquish."

Cole nodded. "Exactly. Now all we need to do is wait for a really _really_ big Charmed Vanquish. Which could take anything from a day to what, three years?"

Prue groaned and whacked her head against the steel bars. She breathed in and out before speaking. "Well, she said, her eyes hard and determined. "When my sisters do considerably weaken evil, we are going to be ready."

And with that Prue Halliwell and Cole Turner began to plan.

*****  
**

Life in the cells continued, but now Prue and Cole had a mission and their purpose kept them going. They kept each other going.

Their planned escape was anything but speedy and instant. Many months passed before a single opportunity came up.

Prue and Cole sat silently in their cells watching as two Drainer demons approached, both eager for a power boost. Exchanging a glance, Prue and Cole strained their ears to hear the two demon's conversation.

"…Got to take the delivery straight to the Triad. They say they want plenty of power boosts to help with their ultimate battle."

Prue and Cole exchanged quick glances, trying to prevent themselves from becoming too hopeful.

"Yeah, for the most powerful evil force in the underworld they are pretty terrified about going up against the damned Charmed Ones."

The two Drainer demons reached the cells and outstretched their claws and the magic began to seep from Prue's body as tendrils of agonising pain spread through her abdomen. Prue held onto the knowledge that their plan was finally coming to fruition and used it to retain her sanity during the draining.

As she felt her magic draining from her body and her soul, she repeated a mantra through her mind.

_Prue, Piper, Phoebe, Paige, Prue, Piper, Phoebe, Paige, Prue Piper, Phoebe Paige, Prue, Piper, Phoebe, Paige, Cole, Prue Piper…  
_

And suddenly Cole's name was amongst hers and her sisters. Somehow he'd saved her. Now, all they needed to do was escape from this hellhole and it seemed like the time to do so was fast approaching…

*******

It was a stressful time in the Halliwell manor as the ultimate battle was upon them. Billie and Christy Jenkins stood before the Charmed Ones and glared. Piper took a deep breath, it looked like they were about to fight what was apparently going to be the hardest battle of their lives.

Piper looked to the ceiling and whispered. "This one's for you Prue."

And with that, the lead witch in the Power of Three grasped her sisters' hands and began to fight.

*****  
**

Cole and Prue sat next to each other on the cold concrete ground of the cells, their eyes closed and their hands grasped together. In a flash both pairs of eyes shot open.

"It's time. My sisters won." Prue said smiling slightly.

"Remember," Cole said, going over essential details of the plan one last time. "Even though right now evil is much weaker it does not mean that there will be ant holes in the protection.

Prue looked Cole straight in the eye as she stood facing him. "I know." She said. "Ready?"

Cole nodded and closed his eyes, gently easing his consciousness into that of the magic comprising of the cell. He weaved himself throughout the intricacies of the cell magic and let the cell believe that he was part of it. The cell relaxed, accepting its new component, after all, Cole had been present inside the cell for over a year now- his magic was familiar.

Slowly, Cole began to stretch the already weak magic. Stretch it so that the protection surrounding the door was somewhat thinner than the rest.

The magic's disintegration and Cole's manipulation was evident to Prue as she felt the magic descend to its weakest point. Prue astral projected into the doorway of the cell. Her projection was neither inside nor outside of the cell walls. The cell could feel two magical presences within its perimeter, one of which it accepted and one of which it was uncertain. The cell was confused; the cell was weak. It could not feel the usual presence within its walls, but if they weren't inside the cell, and they weren't outside it- then where were they?

With a leap Cole returned to his body before quickly lifting Prue's limp form and rushing through the doorway before the cell regained its senses and before evil began to rebuild itself.

As his body passed through the cell doorway, Prue's astral form dissolved back into her true self. Prue's chest heaved as she returned to her real body. Her eyes flashed open.

"Let's go." She said.

With that they ran from the deepest depths of hell towards the surface. They were too deep underground to shimmer and so the pair of them were forced to physically run for their lives.

Coming to a sudden halt as they rounded the corner, Prue and Cole caught sight of four Drainer guards, whose mouths all dropped open in shock at the sight of their escaped prisoners.

With a quick glance between them, Prue and Cole went into fighting mode. In a few short seconds two of the demons had been flung hard against the rock wall, the other two taken out by fireballs. A large grin spread across Prue's face at the sight of the multi-vanquish.

It was good to be back, she thought to herself.

"Come on," Cole said, grabbing Prue's hand and shaking her out of her reverie. "There's not much time." And together they were running again, down the endless stone corridors, gradually leading towards home.

They rounded a corner and Cole pointed up ahead, "You see that stone archway about a hundred metres away? That's the transportation gate. Once we get to there we can shimmer out."

Prue nodded and they continued running in desperation towards escape. Suddenly, Prue's eyes widened as eight Drainer demons stepped out from the shadows.

"Well, well, well." One of them said as it stepped forward from the rest of its companions. "We knew you'd end up here, it is after all the only way out."

Cole gave a sarcastic smile. "And so you gathered practically your entire race to greet us? I'm touched."

And with that they started fighting. Prue narrowed her focus to her immediate surroundings and thought only of kicking whatever demons butt was closest. Cole stood beside her, energy balls flying endlessly from his fingertips.

Suddenly, a sharp pain grasped Prue from behind, a strangled gasp escaped from her lips as Prue sunk into the ground. "Cole…" She gasped before passing out on the ground.

Cole swung around, his heart pounding at the sound of Prue's pain-filled voice. A single demon remained, positioned directly behind Prue, its claw outstretched, pulling her magical essence from her body.

With a furious howl Cole flung an energy ball at the Drainer demon, breaking the connection and causing the demon to explode.

Cole dropped to his knees and lifted Prue's body into his arms, and then walked unsteadily up to the archway. He squeezed his eyes shut and thought of the Halliwell Manor.

"The manor," he whispered. "I want to go to the one place that I've truly called home. Take me to the home of the Charmed Ones."

*****  
**

Piper hugged her husband and lifted her youngest son Christopher into her arms. Around her stood her family. The ultimate battle had been fought and won by the side of good. Piper, Phoebe and Paige stood in the conservatory surrounded by four generations of Halliwells.

Grams, Mom, Phoebe, Paige, Leo, Henry, Coop, Wyatt, Chris and herself. Piper couldn't help but think of the one person that was missing.

Leo looked over to his wife. "You okay honey?" He asked, his smile lessening slightly.

Piper nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay." She said, smiling up at her husband. "I just wish…" She trailed off.

Baby Wyatt walked up to the centre of the conservatory and looked down at the floor.

"Prue." He said, pointing at the empty space. The family fell silent and looked at the three-year-old.

"What was that Wyatt?" Piper asked her son. Wyatt looked up at his mother.

"Prue." He repeated. "Aunty Prue."

"What…" Phoebe started, her eyebrows furrowing, yet before she could finish her sentence, two bodies shimmered into the room right at Wyatt's feet.

Cole held Prue's unconscious form tightly in his arms, drawing comfort from her warmth. He glanced up to see many confused faces looking down at the two of them lying huddled on the floor.

"Safe…" He murmured before everything went black.

**Author's Note: What did you think? Please let me know! The more reviews I get the faster I update! Constructive criticism is also welcome! Thanks! xx**


End file.
